Supervisors forfeit pay increase

The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to forfeit their annual cost of living allowance (COLA) pay increase.

Comment

By John Bowman

Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA

By John Bowman

Posted Mar. 21, 2013 at 10:23 AM
Updated Mar 21, 2013 at 10:25 AM

By John Bowman

Posted Mar. 21, 2013 at 10:23 AM
Updated Mar 21, 2013 at 10:25 AM

YREKA

The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to forfeit their annual cost of living allowance (COLA) pay increase.

Siskiyou County Code 2-6 .10 states, “Each year, the base salary [for supervisors] shall be increased by an amount equal to the Consumer Price Index ... measured in April of each year, with the increase being effective the first full period of May. In no event shall the increase in salary be less than two percent or greater than four percent. Increases shall be based on annual approval by the board of supervisors.”

However, the coffers of governments big and small have been constricted since the recent economic recession due to greatly depleted tax revenues. In fact, the county negotiated cuts to the pay and/or benefits of most county employees last year in an effort to fill budget gaps.

According to the board’s agenda documents, a two percent increase in board pay would have cost the county an additional $4,000 annually.

The board has forfeited these COLA increases for the past four years, making Tuesday’s vote the fifth consecutive time. The decision was made with virtually no discussion by the board after supervisor Grace Bennett made the motion.

Since 2009 county supervisors’ annual salary has been static at $35,315.97 – plus mileage compensation, health and life insurance benefits.